mckenzie



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. MQKENZIEQ CURTAIN CABINET 0R SAFE.

No. 538,430. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. McKENZIE. CURTAIN CABINET 0R SAFE.

.I I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I I I l I I I l l I I I I I u I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANGUS MCKENZIE, OF JAMESTOVVN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE FENTON METALLIC MANUFAOTURIN G COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CURTAIN CABINET OR SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 538,430, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed March 29, 1 894.

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, ANGUS MCKENZIE, a resident of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Curtain Cabinets or Safes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to flexible curtains for cabinets, safes, and like cases for holding papers, files, books, or other valuables which it is desired to protect either from theft or inury.

My invention has for its object the improvement of these cabinets and their curtains in certain particulars, which may be briefly stated as follows; By the employment of two curtains, traveling the one from the top and the other from the bottom of the case, the two curtains can be caused to meet in the center, so requiring only one-half the ordinary movement and bringing the point at which the curtains are locked within easy reach without stooping or kneeling. These curtains are counterbalanced in such way that they render the movement of the curtain easy, the one curtain balancing the other, so that but little force is required in moving the curtains through the shorter course provided for them; this principle of mounting and counterbalancing being also applicable to curtains moving for the full length of the case or cabinet, other counterbalancing devices being employed in such cases.

The invention also consists in certain other improvements, which will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of a case or cabinet, showing the curtains closed and partly broken away to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig 3 is a rear view illustrating the method of mounting the curtains and connecting them to counterbalance. Fig. 4. is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction and guiding of the curtain. Fig. 5 is a longitudi- Serial No. 505,565. (No model.)

nal section on theline 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a detail section of the curtain. 7

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each view. My invention is illustrated as applied to a metallic case with metallic curtains, and I preferto employ it with such form of case, though it may be employed with a wooden case or a case of other material, and with any desired form of case, cabinet, or safe having any interior arrangement or exterior finish desired. In the drawings the case is shown with the base part a, sides I), top a, stationary rear wall d and open front 01 to give access to the interior D of the case,'which has suitable shelving, pigeon-holes, or like devices d which are to be arranged according to the desire of the user. This case has the front ribs 1) extending from the sides I) inwardly toward the open space d, which, with the inner guides d, form the guideways e for the curtains f g, which are mounted to slide in the guideways within the case as hereinafter described. Guideways of proper width to receive the curtains extend entirely around the case, the guideway e on the front, as formed by the parts I) and d, on the top as shown at e, on the rear as at 6 and in the base of the case as at 6 such guides being formed of continuous lips extending out a sufficient distance to lap, onto the edges of the curtains and hold them in line, a' further detail description of the same being unnecessary. It may be added that, as shown in the drawings, the corners e of the guideways are formed at a suitable curve so as to provide for the easy movement of the flexible curtains around the same. i

The flexible curtains do not need special description, as they may be formed of slats, or corrugated material, metallic or otherwise, connected in any suitable way. In the drawings they are illustrated in the form of slats f bent to shape from sheet metal and fitting the one to the other, and connected bya wire passing through the same. At the base of the upper curtain f is the slat f which carries the handle f and to which the lock and the flexible chains or cords for counterbalancing are secured. The lower curtain g is constructed in the sameway as the upper curtain, and has at its upper edgethe enlarged slat g to which the chains or cords are connected, as hereinafter described. Where these two curtains are employed in the manner illustrated they are so connected at their ends that they counterbalance each other, and being practically of the same weight, as they move in opposite directions to each other, they form a counter-balancing means without the employment of any special counterbalancing devices, which are necessary where a single curtain is used, as hereinafter described. When the two curtains are employed their ends are connected by chains or cords, so that a means for holding the curtains taut and in place is obtained, and by the movement of one curtain motion is imparted to the other so that it moves in the opposite direction thereto. For this purpose I have illustrated chains h connecting the forward ends of the curtains and the chains 7: connecting the rear ends thereof. The chains h pass over pulleys h mounted in the upper part of the case in any suitable way, being shown as mounted on brackets -h secured to the cover h of the interior body of the cabinet, the chains It being secured to the horizontal bars Z rigidly secured to the upper slat g of the lower curtain, which has lugs Z extending back of the lips d between the front guideway and the interior pigeon-holes or like finish of the cabinet, the chains being connected to said bar at Z and so being concealed behind the guideway e. The chains 7r are also connected to the horizontal bar'm rigidly secured to the bottom slat f of the upper curtain f, and as the chains after passing over the pulleys h extend back of and are concealed behind the upper curtain, the bar on is made shorter than the width of the curtain and the chains are connected thereto at m, the pulleys It being placed on a plane back of the bodies of the curtains. The chains pass over pulleys 7r secured to the case on aplane back of the guideways e being connected to lugs k on the rear slat of the upper curtain and to lugs on the rear slat of the lower curtain.

In this way, when the cabinet is to be opened the operator grasps the handle f and by raising the same he moves the upper curtain f upwardly along the guideways e and along the top guideways c and down the guideways c and through the chains is draws the rear end of the lower curtain g upwardly along the rear guideway e causing that curtain to travel downwardly in thefront guideway a and backwardly along the lower guideway 6 this movement at the same time causing the chains h to pass around the pulleys h and permit the downward movement of the lower curtain g, the weight of the forward part of this curtain assisting in the movement, and as the movement proceeds, the

Weight of. the rear end of the upper curtain assisting intlie movement where the rear end of the lower curtain is being raised in the rear guideways 6 means of these chains connected to the front and rear ends of the curtains, the curtains are held taut and in proper place in the guideways,so' that a very easy movement of the two curtains is obtained.

In order to adjust the chains any suitable adjusting device may be employed on the rear chains 70 for the primary adjustment of the chains or subsequently to take up slack. For this purpose Iliave illustrated the bars n, which are provided with hooks n which pass through links of the chains 70, the bars being adjusted with relation to the chains by connecting the hooks in any suitable links of the same.

WVhere the two curtains are employed and they are mounted as above described, it is evident that they meet at a point midway of the length of the cabinet, and therefore at a point within easy reach of the user, and the lock is placed in the lower slat f of the upper curtain and the upper slat g of the lower curtain, so that he can lock or unlock the same without stooping, and in opening or closing the curtain he is required to move it only one-half the length of the cabinet, while as the curtains are so connected as to balance each other, as above described, a very easy moving curtain is obtained having but a short distance to travel.

By my invention I am enabled to obtain a cabinet which, requires but a short movement of the same, in which the two curtains are counterbalanced, the one by the other, and in which the one curtain is moved by the operation of the other, and at the same time a curtain which does not require the user to stoop or kneel in locking or unlocking or in opening or closing the same, this being a very great advantage, especially in large cabinets, cases, or safes.

I have described the invention more particularly in connection with the use of chains for connecting the curtains and the counterbalancing devices. It is to be understood that in the term chain I include any. like flexible device, such as cords or wires, which may be employed if desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp 1. The combination with a case or cabinet having. guide ways extending around the same, of two flexible curtains each mounted to slide in said guideways, into and out of the front guideways thereof, said curtains being adapted to meet midway of the front opening, and being so connected together that the movement of one curtain counterbalances the movement of the other, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a case or cabinet At the same time, by

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having guideways extending around the same, of two curtains mounted to slide in said guideways, and a chain connecting the rear ends of said curtains and passing over pulleys mounted in the case or cabinet, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a case or cabinet having guideways extending around the same, of two curtains mounted to slide in said guideways, and chains connected to the ends of the curtains and passing over pulleys mounted-in the case or cabinet, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a case or cabinet having guideways extending around the same, of two curtains mounted to slide in said guideways, chains connected to the forward ends of said curtains and passing over pulleys, and chains connecting the rear end thereof and passing over pulleys, said pulleys being mounted in the case or cabinet, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a case or cabinet having front guideways therein, and a space back of said guideways, of two curtains mounted to' slide in said guideways, a cross bar at the front end of one curtain having lugs extending into the space behind the guideways, and chains connecting to said lugs and passing over pulleys mounted in the case' and connected to the front end of the other curtain, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ANGUS MCKENZIE, have hereunto set my hand.

ANGUS MCKENZIE.

Witnesses:

B. D. CHADWICK, E. W. GOETZ. 

